


Silver Secrets

by valentine192



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Attempted Murder, Betrayal, Child Abuse, Crimes & Criminals, Daddy Issues, Depression, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, Happy Ending, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Laufey's A+ Parenting, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki-centric, M/M, Past Abuse, Police, Protective Thor, Romance, Suspense, Thor Is Not Stupid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:01:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2182347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valentine192/pseuds/valentine192
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Loki's mother asked for a divorce,  they serenaded tales of drugs, murder, and betrayal to him. No longer was he safe. The criminals have always been by his side, and Thor wants to take him away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Loki and Steve here are BROTHERS. I know that it's supposed to be Thor, but I needed Thor to NOT be his brother here for the story to work. Also, Loki is older than Steve. I know, unusual, but that's what was needed and stuff :)
> 
> The story would also present to you a lot of mysteries at first, but it will all be answered as we go along, so please bear with me! Thank you! :D Also, the first chapter here is more like a prologue as we're just presented a glimpse of what's happening

11:48pm

The highway was empty, the night dark as it covered the sky. The stars gleamed, but they have lost its hope. And the moon shone from beneath the clouds, its silver skin a dancing memory that was always too far away. A few cars sped through the highway, its empty lanes lonely as a silver SUV ran along its pavement. Sitting rather nervously at the passenger seat, Loki turned to the exit to enter another highway as their stereo played random songs from his iTouch. Steve, sitting on the passenger seat beside his brother, glanced at Loki and said, "Can I change the song?"

Loki gripped the steering wheel harder and nodded. "Go ahead. I don't care."

Steve stared at the highway. His eyes were like Loki. Desolate. He said, "You don't care about anything," and reached for Loki's iTouch. Loki pursed his lips, but his emotions refused to walk against his face. Steve went through the songs in the iTouch, looking at each title carefully, weary to pick something that might strike a nerve. Despite Loki's supposed wall of indifference, Steve knew that something was wrong. He knew it the moment Loki called him and said that they needed to leave already. Loki was supposed to be acting in an upcoming play and the rehearsals usually ended after midnight.

The thoughts in Loki's mind violently danced as the emotions in his heart wailed a dark requiem. The tears crawled to his eyes and Loki blinked to push the tears away. He opened his mouth, his mind wandering on the words to say. He was frightened, thoughts of death floating in his head. He said, "I have something that I need to tell you, Steve, but please don't be mad at me. I know that you love our father-"

"What?" Steve glared at Loki. "What are you going to tell me? More family secrets that I wished I never knew?"

Loki sighed. Like Steve, he was tired. He never wanted to reveal to Steve the tragic secrets of his family. He just needed to feel as if he wasn't alone. He, however, knew that Steve would not welcome the secrets, but what was Loki to do? Being the keeper of his family's mysteries made him mad.

"What, Loki?" asked Steve as he picked a song. A song he didn't particularly like, but it was a song that Loki listened to often. _Chicago's Cellblock Tango,_ a song about how women murdered their husbands. Loki winced. He did not know if Steve did it on purpose, but it hurt. Steve repeated, "What?"

"I don't want to do this, Steve. I really _really_ don't. But I might have to..." his voice broke. The light from the highway's lamps waltzed against his green eyes thus illuminating the tired redness that have circled the whites of his eyes. Loki said, "I might have to bring our father to rehab."

Steve blankly stared at the highway, his own blue eyes reflecting a dreadful exhaustion as well. Loki glanced at him hoping that Steve would understand, but Steve's silence showed that he did not.

"I don't want to do it, Steve! I really don't! I just have to. It's for the safety of our family."

Steve didn't react.

"Our father's doing drugs. He has been taking it since he was twelve, and he took it while our mother was pregnant with us."

Steve's lips thinned but he still refused to look at Loki. He just said, "I would put you in rehab before you could even touch our father."

"But he's the drug addict! Didn't you ever wo-"

"You punched me!" Steve glared at Loki.

"You screamed at me! And you wouldn't stop screaming! And you punched ba-"

"I don't care! You were the one who first raised your hand at me!"

Loki was breaking. He couldn't be strong anymore. The walls that have kept him safe were shattering to the ground, and the masks that he wore were tearing into pieces. And the tears fell. Loki shouted, "Whatever!" and wiped his tears away.

"Loki, you're the crazy one. Angel said so."

Angel was the name of the cop who Loki called, the one who was supposedly retired but handling the case of the divorce. Angel, also, was Loki's friend. Loki glanced again at Steve and continued crying.

"You're like our mother," said Steve.

Loki tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "The only trait that I have that is like hers is that we are both ambitious workaholics. We were raised by our grandparents, Steve. Doesn't that click anything in that head of yours? Our grandfather, too, was an ambitious workaholic."

Steve looked away and said, "How could you have the guts to say that our dad is a drug addict?"

"He told Angel and Angel told me."

Steve's shoulders stiffened, but Loki turned towards an exit on the highway that he didn't notice the tenseness in Steve's demeanor.

+

The highway disappeared and was replaced by the streets of the subdivision that were quiet and less lonely. The houses were lovely, most of it having lights coming from the bedroom windows. The wind blew, brushing against the trees. A dog walked pass a house and settled near hedge. The neighborhood park was silent, its swing and slide already rusting. The broken mailbox of their neighbor laid against the ground, the nameplate of their surname lying next to it. This was not their subdivision and not their home. It was their aunt's, their father's sister. Since they escaped their home, this new subdivision became their little haven. But the feeling of home never touched the brothers again. They missed their little house, and they missed the way that the roses from their garden always floated in the air. Their aunt's house, though a two-story treasure, would never be their home.

Loki parked their SUV at the driveway. Together, he and Steve stepped out of the car. Loki carefully closed the door while Steve slammed his. Angry, Steve rushed inside the house. Loki stared at his feet as he clutched the sling of his bag. His heart was racing. He didn't want to go in. There was a demon inside, and that demon was ready to strike him dead. And Angel said that he had to prepare and be ready. Though the way Angel said it was compassionate and was aimed to protecting Loki, Loki wasn't thinking of protecting himself. He was scared, yes, but he was more frightened that his mission might not be met. He took out his cell phone from his pocket and texted a message to two people, his mother and Thor.

_"If I don't call or text by 12 noon tomorrow, please report me missing to the cops."_

Only a few seconds after Loki pressed send, his ring tone, Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata,_ struck the air. Its first few notes, the eerie melody and disturbing harmony, skipped in such dreadful mockery. And the name of the caller showed on Loki's screen. She was named _The Gold Digging Bitch,_ and that was Loki's mother, the person who Loki didn't want to talk to. He didn't even want to text her, but Angel said that his mother would help. Loki trusted Angel. He didn't trust his mother. So Loki ended the call. In the blink of a second, his mother called again. And Loki ended the call. The wind blew against Loki's hair, pushing the dark strands to fall against Loki's eyes. Loki waited for his mother to call again, and he hoped that his mother did care. However, there was no more and Loki's heart broke. He sighed and pushed his hair away. But when he was about to put his phone away, the dreadful tone of _Moonlight Sonata_ serenaded the air. Loki's eyes lit up, hoping that it was his mother. However, it was Thor. And seeing that name splayed against his screen, Loki felt his soul embrace a little stone of love. He answered the call and said a small, painful, desperate, "Thor."

"Loki, what's happening?" Thor, frantic and scared, asked. "I know you've been going through shit, but what is this?"

Fear embraced Loki. He was going to do what needed to be done for the safety of his family. Though he was afraid to die, he didn't want to be a coward. He wanted to do something right, but how he wanted to hide.  But there were people - his brother and cousins - to protect. Loki closed his eyes and gripped his phone tightly. Death has never scared him in such a manner, and it never came to him that death was the most painful farewell. Farewell to the people he loved, farewell to his dreams, farewell to the laughter and to the tears. Loki never wanted to be a martyr.

"Loki!"

"I need to do something, Thor," said Loki.

"Don't! If something's going to happen to you, don't! Come here, I'll protect you."

Loki shook his head. A lone tear fell from the corner of his eyes, sliding down his pale neck that has grown skinny the past month. The tear disappeared when it hid behind Loki's white shirt, his favorite piece of clothing that has become too loose for him. Loki looked around, watching to see if something or someone was listening. And he glanced inside the car, making sure that no one was hiding in the backseat. With a hushed tone, he said, "I need to do this. Goodnight, Thor."

"What? Loki, what's been happening to-"

The call ended and Loki rushed to turn off his cell phone. He pushed the little piece of gadget back into his pants and stared at the frightening house. There were ghosts in there, and demons that followed. And there were shadows that lurked behind the walls, its ears always listening as their mouths watered in anticipation of their kill. Loki's hand shook, and so he pushed his hand in his pants and clutched his phone in hopes that it would calm his anxiety. He took one step forward, and took more steps to approach the house. When he opened the door, his father was sitting on his usual spot at the dining table. Steve was sitting beside their father and eating. On the table was Loki's favorite fish, Salmon. Licking his lips, Loki closed the door. He smiled - a fake one that was too mastered that it seemed real - and greeted his father.

"Hi, Loki," said Loki's dad who stared at the salmon. "Sit with us. How was your day, son?"

The time was 12:32am.

+

12:32am

Thor sat on the edge of his bed. His clothes were on the floor, strewn in the usual messy way that it always gets thrown around.  The pants were clean, but his shirt was wet for Thor accidentally spilled water against himself earlier.

Thor reached for the lamp by the bedside table and turned it on. Its dim light embraced room, the warm orange shade dancing upon blue eyes. There were tears that gleamed, tears that glassed Thor's fears in a little room that kept him worrying and thinking. His right hand grasped his phone in a tight manner that threatened to break the phone in pieces, and his left hand clutched his boxers in a way that scratched the fabric until it lightly tore. Thor cursed and looked down. Loki gave him those boxers on their third month anniversary. Though it was just plain black with no intricate designs, its fabric was of a good quality. It was not supposed to break. The boxers were soon taken from Thor's body and was thrown to the floor along with the man's shirt and pants.

At the corner of the room, Thor's Golden Retriever woke up. It lifted his head, and soon his mouth fell for he yawned. When he saw Thor, he stood up. His tail wagged but when its eyes found Thor, the tail fell. Slowly, it walked to Thor.

Thor tore his gaze from his phone to his dog. A sad smile spread across his face. He placed the phone by the lamp and went on his knee. Opening his arms, he welcomed the dog to come to his embrace.

The dog halted and sat down. It did not want to be embraced for he had a message to deliver. And since he could not speak, his eyes expressed the sadness as the apology was written in its dark pupils.

Thor stared. He did not know what the dog was trying to say, but he could feel the apology running up his bare arms. Thor sat comfortable on the floor and rested his head against the edge of the bed. He stared at the ceiling, but the ceiling seemed to come down on him with threats of wrapping its long fingers around Thor's neck. The man closed his eyes and dared for Loki's demons to come to him instead.

The dog sat beside Thor and laid a paw on Thor's thigh as if assuring his master that he would always be by his side. Thor buried his hand into the dog's thick fur. He did not know what was happening, but since Loki's parents separated, he has been watching Loki fall. Thor thought that Loki was just depressed because of the divorce, but his thoughts started to change. Loki was hiding secrets from him, secrets that should never be mentioned.

The time was 12:41am


	2. Farewells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki was supposed to act normal, but nothing was normal anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very heavy chapter. A lot of cursing, and the secrets would come out in this chapter actually so as to explain the previous one and get you ready for the following chapters.

12:55am

Steve kept his head down. The salmon on his plate looked rather grand, but he hated salmon. And so he glared at Loki who sat across the table, Loki who seemed not bothered at all, Loki who was eating their father's cooking. Steve grabbed his fork and stabbed the salmon.

A speeding car ran outside the window, its lights seeping through the closed curtains and illuminating the face of their father who looked exactly like Loki. He was tall, his hair dark and eyes green, but his body was stocky like Steve's. A stubble was growing on his face, white hair peppered against the dark. And those green eyes of his were shaking as he watched Loki eat. His hand were still and on the table, but his wrists were pushing against the wooden surface. He said that he was in control, but his mind was bursting in raw fear. He was not going to allow his secret be spread to the family, and he was not going to be locked up anywhere.

"Father," Loki smiled, "this salmon is rather delightful. You have outdone yourself."

The corner of Laufey's lips twitched. He tried to smile, but the murderer inside of him could only think of blood. The whites of his eyes slowly turned red and he pushed all of the plates on the table to the floor, letting it shatter into pieces that danced against the floor. Loki pulled his legs up and he stared at his father with wide eyes that presented his controlled, hidden fears. And Steve stiffened.

"You," Laufey, standing up, pointed a finger to Loki's face. "I know what you're planning to do. You want to lock me up," but Laufey did not mention rehab. He was careful for none but Loki - and Steve - knew of the drugs. "You want to see who's insane, Loki? It's not me. It's you! You're crazy! Everyone here, especially me, is scared that you'll kill us in our sleep! You're exactly like your mother! A psychopath! A fucking psychopath!"

Loki's stared and all emotions were drained from his face. It was his way of protecting himself - it was his walls. They rise when a part of Loki is threatened, and so Loki would seem rather emotionless and cold. However, those walls did not always succeed for tears brimmed Loki's eyes. Still seating on his seat, Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away. Laufey screamed for his sister, and soon enough the sister came out to sit beside Steve.

"I need my witnesses to know that I am not the crazy one!" shouted Laufey. "Everyone must see that I hold nothing hidden, especially my anger! If you want me to go to jail, then let us go! I'll be set free and they'll arrest you, Loki! Because I'm sane and you're not!"

Tears fell from Loki's eyes. His lips quivered, but no words escaped him. He was not going to break. He was not going to sob. He was Loki. Someone so sure of himself, but someone who wanted to escape.

Laufey's sister spoke. "Yes, Loki. Fandral," Loki and Steve's cousin, Laufey's sister's eldest son who went away for college, "told us that you planned to lock your father up. But why? We're family, Loki. And you already have a case against your mom, now your dad? Do you plan to bring all of us to jail?"

Loki didn't speak.

Laufey arm twitched. He wanted to punch Loki's face - no, he wanted to murder Loki., his very son who inherited his own features. To have Loki's neck in his hands would seem as if he was choking his younger self. Yes, Laufey wanted that, but the family could never know his secrets. So he punched the table instead and continued yelling. "I want you out of here, Loki! You are not welcomed in the family anymore! Go to your friends! Go live in the fucking theatre! Go against the family who raised you! Fucking shit, Loki, you care more about your dreams and yourself than your own family! We raised you, you useless shit!"

Steve bit his lower lip and stared at his feet. Laufey's sister hushed herself and watched the tears dance against Loki's cheeks in a torturous waltz.

"You only love yourself, Loki! And you dare betray me! Your father!"

Loki finally spoke. Though his voice was calm, his voice was hushed as if he was scared. "How could a father beat his own child?"

Laufey punched the table again. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and the whites have grown even redder. "I never once laid my hand on you! How many times to I have to repeat that? See what I mean by you are insane? You make up memories!"

Laufey's sister spoke, "We never saw you with marks when you were a child. You were loved, Loki."

Loki didn't even look at her. He just kept his eyes on his father's, daring him to speak the truth, for even if Loki has mastered the art of lying and acting, he never once lied about such things unless if it was to protect someone. However, the only one he never protected was himself. Loki said, "I have been saying the same damn story since I was a child. Has any information about my tales been twisted or have I told the same sequence of events of how you punched me?"

Steve's looked away.

"Tell me, dad," said Loki, "how are my memories made up when I could still feel the way your fist threw me to the wall? Your knuckles marking my skin as your muscles twisted against my stomach."

"Stop lying!" Laufey screamed. "You are to leave! I never want to see you again!"

No one spoke, and Loki merely nodded his head. He was tired of the lies, and he was tired of the crimes.

"No!" Laufey suddenly raised his hand. "I am never letting you out of my sight. You are not to live with your friends, you are to go back to Norway! Back to your uncle and your grandmother!" The people who raised Loki and Steve. "Go and live with them since you're their fucking favorite! They want you back! I talked to them earlier and they'd _love_ to have their little twisted fuck back inside their house!" And to have Loki with them was assurance to Laufey that his son wouldn't look for revenge _or_ justice. "Also, thanks for introducing us to your sick friend, Angel. He was the one who enlightened us about your insanity!"

Loki's eyes slightly, subtly, almost invisibly, widened.

Laufey turned to his sister, "What do you think?"

"Yes," she said. Without looking at her nephew, the one who her children trusted even more than Steve, she nodded. "He'll put all of us in jail with his lies." Her words were strong, but her tone was weak.

"And Steve?" Laufey turned to his favorite son.

Steve refused to talk and he refused to look up. He simply nodded.

"Get me a fucking ticket to Norway!" shouted Laufey. "Time to get rid of some shit."

The time was 1:21am.

+

2:13am

Loki entered Fandral's room, the room in the house where he was staying in. He just finished talking to his family in Norway, and they were all anticipating his arrival the next day considering that his flight was at 8:20am. Loki's uncle told him that they'll take care of him, and that he's always welcomed back at home. Loki sobbed and simply replied, "I want to go home," and nothing more for his father watched him. The door to Fandral's room was even left open because Laufey forbid Loki, someone who was just twenty but already an adult, to close the door. Laufey feared that Loki might do something, and Loki was too tired and too hurt to fight.

Loki took his backpack from the closet and stuffed his essentials in it. Then, he took out the laundry bag and just placed his dirty clothes in it. He was too proud to leave it with the people who he considered to be the demons in his life. And then he sat on the floor, his back against the edge of the bed and the closet door in front of him. He had so many clothes, so many books, so many journals and scrapbooks. He didn't want to leave any of it, especially his journals and scrapbooks, but he was escaping this family of criminals. And when one's life was threatened, one must learn to let go. And the one thing that Loki wanted to forget was his family and the memories that burned his aching heart into dark dust that crawled upon a desolate wasteland.

The cell phone that lay forgotten in Loki's jeans fell to the floor. Loki took it and saw his puffy eyes through the reflection. He cursed and opened the phone, curious to see if someone messaged him. Usually, no one would for he usually kept to himself and was not an active texter. However, when the phone opened and the wallpaper of him and Thor together appeared, messages came one after the other. But there were only two senders: Thor and Fandral. Not one single message from his mother. And because he was hurting from his family, he read Thor's messages first.

_Message 1, 12:47am:_

_Loki, I love you. Tell me what's wrong._

_Message 2, 12:54am:_

_I'm serious. I need to know, Loki._

_Message 3, 12:59am:_

_Whatever happens, I love you._

_Message 4. 1:03am:_

_I can't stop thinking, Loki. What's wrong? You have been so depressed since your parents separated, but I know there's something more._

_Message 5, 1:07am:_

_Stop hiding, Loki! I'm tired of it! Don't you trust me?_

_Message 6, 1:11am:_

_That's it. I'm mad. So stop hiding these secrets! I'm trying to respect your space, but you're my boyfriend!_

_Message 7, 1:23am:_

_I'm damn serious, Loki. I went to your house last week because I wanted to surprise you. I was hoping that I could make you smile like before. But you weren't home. Your neighbor told me that you and your family just disappeared and he thinks that you went on a family vacation. But he saw your dad drop by a few times, and in case you forgot, you showed me the key to your backyard. Why were all the outdoor lights broken? And I peeked into the kitchen! Your house looked like a murder scene, Loki! Everything was broken and the soil from the plants were everywhere! And when I peeked in your room, it was empty and your bed was gone. What the fuck is happening? I'm tired of waiting! What did you get yourself into?_

_Message 8, 2:01am:_

_I'm sorry. I lost control of myself again. Please tell me you're okay._

_Message 9, 2:02am:_

_Message 10, 2:03am:_

_I love you_

_Message 11, 2:11am:_

_I'm going to go to sleep already. I'll do what you asked and call the cops if you don't call me tomorrow. If you don't want to tell me what happened, then it's okay. It's probably a big thing, but I want you to know that I'm here. Goodnight, Loki. I love you._

Loki rubbed his knuckles against his cheeks to wipe the burning tears from his skin. His eyes were already sore, but he pushed the pain away and read the messages from Fandral.

_Message 1, 1:38am_

_Is your phone off? I don't know when you'll read this text, but I want to say that I'm sorry. Hogun texted me. He told me of what he heard, and mom wouldn't exactly answer, but I don't want you to leave. When you told me earlier that mom knew of what you told me, I thought that it was okay to talk about it. Mom called me and she asked me if I talked to you and what you told me, I mentioned about you putting your dad in rehab. I didn't mention about someone trying to kill your mom because my mom doesn't care about her anymore. But, yeah, I didn't exactly mention to my mom that your dad's taking drugs. I thought she knew. I never thought that she'd tell your dad about it. I'm really sorry, Loki. I don't want you to go._

_Message 2, 1:51am:_

_I really didn't mean for this to happen. And sorry. I forgot that your phone is..._

And Loki replied:

_Don't be sorry. Things happen for a reason, and this could be my escape from all this shit. I was also at fault for the misunderstanding. When Angel told me that your mom knew, I thought the same thing you did - that she knew of the assassin and the drugs. I just didn't think that my words of "I don't want to put my dad in rehab" would be misunderstood. How stupid could she be to assume that I wanted to do that. She could have just talked to me. Anyways, I talked to you earlier this morning. You know my reasons and I stick to my words. I would have only called 911 if dad went all-out crazy. I feared the safety of your brothers. How could your mom not see that?_

_PS. Your mom's a stupid bitch. Weak, too. She would rather keep her loyalty to her brother because of fear rather than protect her children's safety from someone who has been addicted to drugs for three decades._

_PPS. Don't worry about my phone. I know they're tracking it and reading my messages, but I don't give a fuck anymore. They can even arrest me. I'm innocent of my parents' crimes._

_Anyways, I promise to return, Fandral. Just let me rest for a while._

Loki put the phone by his feet and covered his face with his palms. His day started out normal, but Angel called. The man told Loki that his mother was currently facing a death threat and that his father was in the surveillance of the cops already because they found out about his drug abuse and involvement with the numerous mafia organizations. Angel told him to call 911 if ever Laufey would lose himself, and Loki specifically said that he did not want to do it. However, he knew that he had to do it to protect his aunt's children. So he was utterly mortified to know that his aunt didn't do anything but instead protected Laufey.

The time was 3:10am

+

3:23am

Soft footsteps padded into the room along with the sound of wheels. Loki, who was still at his spot near the closet with his back to the door, sighed. The movement stopped. Loki refused to turn around, and Steve's voice weakly crawled. "I have some baggage for you."

"I don't want it," said Loki with his voice so emotionless that Steve winced.

"Loki, please-"

"You want me gone, right? Then let me leave."

"But all your stuff-"

"I don't care."

"Loki-"

"I'm crazy, right?" Loki mocked their accusation, "There is a thin line between intelligence and insanity. And there is another thin line between creativity and insanity. Since I am both, I am most likely a lunatic. What would a crazy person do with memories?"

Steve looked down. He wanted to go and apologize to Loki, but he didn't know how to.  He didn't even know that his own walls were created with the same purpose as Loki's. To protect him, and so those walls whispered to Steve's ear, telling Steve that Loki was a mean older brother who always pushed him away. But that was how Loki's walls defended him, and Steve didn't want to stand behind his own walls anymore. He didn't want to lose Loki, but he already proclaimed that he was on their father's side. Torn, he let go of the baggage, leaving it there in the room, and walked out.

The door slammed close. Steve jumped. And when he looked back at the door, it slowly opened and there was no one. Frightened, he peeked in. Loki was still sitting on the floor and has not moved one bit. But Loki felt Steve's eyes that Loki slowly turned towards him. With a cocked brow, Loki said, "What? Scared of a little wind?" Steve quickly walked away.

The time was 3:28

+

4:13am

Thor twisted on his bed. His dog was beside him and his phone, which was laying by his head, was ringing. Thor reached for it and looked at the screen, but he was too simply that his eyes weren't working well yet. So he reached for the lamp at the bedside table and turned it on. It was then that he saw the name, "Loki." Thor sat up, his body and mind suddenly awake, and answered the call.

"Loki, where are you?"

_"I'm at my aunt's home."_

"Your dad's sister?"

_"Yeah."_

"But she lives an hour away from our school. Is that where you have been all along?"

Loki didn't reply.

"Loki? Love? Are you okay? I'm sorry that I raised my voice. Just tell me that you're okay."

A sob came from Loki's end.

"Loki? Loki, what's happening?" Thor stood up and his dog, suddenly awake and alert, jumped to his side and stared at Thor who was running his hand in his hair. "Loki, what's wrong?"

 _"Sorry, I never cry, so sorry,"_ his voice was hushed, as if he was hiding. _"I can't say much, but I have to tell you that I'm leaving tomorrow."_

"Where?"

_"Norway?"_

"What?" Thor almost shouted. "Why are you going back there? It's the middle of the damn semester!"

_"I can't talk much, Thor."_

"Then what? What time's your flight? We're going to talk."

_"8:20am"_

"Wait for me. Text me when you're on the way to the airport," Thor sat back down on the bed and patted his dog's head with a cautious hand. "I'm scared, Loki."

_"Me, too, Thor. I'll text u. I need to go now."_

"What? Well..." Thor shook his head and stared at the lamp. "Okay."

Without a proper goodbye, the call ended.

+

5:59am

Loki stepped out of the car and walked towards the doors airport. A backpack was on his back, and another bag was hanging from his shoulder. His back was straight, chest pushed out, nose pointed to the air, but his eyes were still red.

Steve stared at his brother from the backseat of the car. At the front was his father and his aunt, and they were both talking about Loki's mental state. His father's voice was booming, and his aunt was just agreeing with everything. Laufey's hands were shaking, though, and so was his knee. And when Laufey reached for the steering wheel, Steve reached for the door handle. His whole arm tensed, and his fingers tightened its grip. And when Laufey started the engine, Steve's arm fell to his lap. Tears brimmed his eyes, but not a single pearl fell. And when Loki entered the gates of the airport, Steve noticed that Loki didn't bring the baggage that he gave him. It was then that one painful, lonely little pearl cautiously ran down his cheeks.

+

6:23am

Loki held his passport and boarding pass in his pale hands. He thanked the woman who checked him and pointed towards the security, that Loki needed to pass through. But Loki didn't go there just yet. He had time, and he wanted to see Thor. So he walked over to the farthest corner and took out his phone. For the first time in weeks, he opened his WiFi and data. He sighed. Notifications came one after the other, specifically emails from his classmates who he had projects with. Loki, however, ignored it but promised to reply later on. They were probably furious about him leaving in the middle of the semester. Loki sighed again. He opened his Facebook and posted a status. "Because of some unforeseen circumstances, I would have to go back to Norway. I apologize to everyone." In five minutes, he received messages - specifically from the theatre and his friends - asking about what happened. Loki didn't reply to any of them. He turned off the WiFi and data and placed the phone by his thigh so that he could wait patiently for Thor to call or text him. He took out a notebook from his backpack that was on the floor and took out his green pen that was placed in the middle of the notebook. And so he started to write for no one would be able to hear, and he wrote so small so that no camera would be able to see it.

+

7:01am

Thor parked his car and ran through the parking. He burst through the gates of the airport and looked around. He hasn't called or texted Loki yet, but he knew that Loki would be waiting for him. And he knew that Loki would sit somewhere secluded. So Thor ran to the farthest corner of the area. People stared at him and a few security guards eyed him. When he saw Loki, he felt a great weight be removed from his shoulders. However, he ran faster. A security guard who was standing near the security area watched Thor from the corner of his eyes. Another security who was standing near one of the entrances also watched Thor. And a middle aged woman who was sitting near Loki took out her cellphone, her eyes flicking towards Thor for a mere second.

Hearing the heavy footsteps, Loki looked up. He wanted to smile, but the sadness was so overpowering that he failed. He did, however, stand up, and Thor collided into him, pushing both of them to the wall, but Thor quickly placed his hand behind Loki's head to protect him from the impact. And Loki gasped, both in surprise and from the warm feeling that weakly sparked inside of him, reminding him that he was human.

Thor ran his fingers through Loki's hair, the tips of his fingers gently rubbing against Loki's scalp. His other hand went around Loki's back, securely and tightly holding Loki against him, their chests pressing against one another until they could feel the other's heartbeat which were both strong, desperate, and frightened. Thor buried his face against Loki's neck, his nose brushing against Loki's jaw and Loki's hair caressing his face. He could smell Loki's scent, the one that he carried, but he could not smell Loki's cologne. He hasn't smelled it since the separation, and Loki's body which fit perfectly against Thor has grown smaller since the separation as well.

Loki closed his eyes.  His left hand held his pen, the other hand his notebook. And when he sighed, both fell to the ground. The notebook closed, hitting Thor's feet and the pen rolled under one of the chairs.  People looked at them, and Loki ignored them all. He just wrapped his arms around Thor's body, his fingers digging into Thor's shoulder blades. Slowly, his eyes opened for the tears were stinging his emeralds again.

"Loki," Thor whispered, "what's happening?"

Loki closed his eyes and placed his fingers against Thor's chest. He never once pushed Thor away, but at that moment, he did. Thor's hands sadly fell away from Loki's body and Loki kept his eyes on the ground. He picked up the notebook from the floor, turned it to the page that he was writing on, and gave it to Thor. He whispered, "Let's sit. You sit at the corner."

Thor cocked an eyebrow. Loki always picked the corner seat, and so that request was unbelievably peculiar. However, Thor did not comment. He just sat down. Loki sat beside him and Loki sat up straightly as if he was covering the notebook from wandering eyes. So Thor sunk into the seat and kept the notebook close to his face as he read.

_"My parents divorced, and I somehow told my dad that my mom has been a bitch ever since. Finally seeing the truth to everything, he made me tell everything I know about my mom. I told him about how the bitch used to physically abuse and ignore Steve when he was a baby, about how she played with our family members, about how she has power issues and other issues which you know about, and about how she made our family members fight against one another. I also told him about how "mom" took some of grandmothers' jewels. These were things I used to tell everyone when I was little but no one believed me, calling me silver-tongued liar. Finally, dad believed me. To my surprise, he believed me too much that he did his own investigation. Mom was committing fraud and has asked for loans, signing it under dad and all those loans which were hundreds and thousands of dollars are still unpaid. Desperate, I told him of Angel, my friend from.... you remember him, right?"_

Thor's face paled when he read that line. Of course he remembered Angel. Angel was the cop who was connected to other security organizations in the US, including the CSI, FBI, and much more.

_"We did our investigation. Mom took out a life insurance for dad. She was insisting that he went on a vacation to Norway where an assassin was waiting for him. Steve was also being tracked through his phone - Tony confirmed this to us. And I found out that I, too, was being tracked. There were recording devices in our car. We also found out that mom was involved in OTHER organizations._

_"Then Angel called me yesterday. He said that there was a hit on my own. He also said that my dad has been taking drugs since he was young. And because I've been that bastard's drinking buddy since the separation, I grew scared. He told me stuff, Thor, stuff about how his friends - my uncles who I grew up - were murderers and drug traffickers. And you know that he used to beat me up almost every day when I was little. I was scared for my cousins and for the people around us. I could take being hurt by my father, but I don't think that Steve can go through that trauma. He may be eighteen, but any son would hurt after his father would harm him. Angel told me that my aunt knew, so I called Fandral and told him about it. And he talked to his mom. Apparently, his aunt knew about the hit but not about the drugs. So things were misunderstood. Angel called me during practice and said that my dad called him about it - my aunt talked to him - and that my dad personally said that he'll kill me. And I still went home. He wants me back in Norway. I can't stay here anymore, Thor. I'm tired. I'm sorry. I just want to go home. Oh, both my parents are involved with the drug trafficking of the Mexican Mafia."_

Thor closed the notebook and turned to Loki. Tears were glistening against his eyes. Loki's explanation seemed like that of a movie, but it all made sense. The way Loki almost completely stopped using technology unless needed, the way Loki and his family suddenly disappeared from their home, the way Loki's car looked as if it was torn apart that one weekend, and much more. Loki's sudden depression, and Steve's sudden need to be the center of attention.

Loki leaned to Thor and whispered to his ear, "And Angel betrayed me. He told my family that I was insane, all the while he was talking to me telling me that I was the only one who he could freely reveal all the information to. If I didn't see the things that I saw, I would say that he's a manipulative bastard. However, I saw it. Why would he betray me, Thor? He told me that I should put my dad in rehab while telling my dad that he should do the same. The drugs were real. Am I insane Thor?"

A shiver ran through Thor's spine. He placed his hand behind Loki's neck and pulled Loki closer to him. He whispered to Loki's ear, "No. Everyone has issues, Loki, if everyone who had issues was insane, then everyone would be in rehab. Loki, I love you," he pecked Loki's cheek and soon kissed the tears that threatened to fall from Loki's eyes. "Don't leave me."

Loki embraced Thor because he didn't want to leave the man. Closing his eyes, his tears fell. Then, he whispered to Thor's ear, "I need to rest. They're following me."

"You're innocent," Thor insisted as he held Loki's hips.

"I'm a witness. I saw the drugs."

"Still innocent."

"I want to go home."

"Your father will still go there to Norway. Stay with me."

Loki suddenly pulled away and stared at Thor. Though he could hear the blatant honesty and love Thor had for him, Loki was dreadfully frightened. He thought about it, and his embrace around Thor tightened. The whole while, Thor kept his eyes on Loki, begging for the man to stay with him.

"Thor," Loki started, "my family's waiting for me."

"They're scared of your dad."

Loki closed his eyes as he realized the future that he was walking into. Without speaking of it, he collapsed onto Thor and said, "Bring me home, Thor."

+

8:39am

The intercom was bellowing, _Looking for Passenger Loki Laufeyson. Please approach Gate 26._

8:43am

The plane to Norway left.

8:54am

Loki sat on the passenger seat of Thor's car and watched the plane disappear into the clouds. He reached for Thor's hand and squeezed it. And Thor leaned to Loki's ear to whisper, "I'll take care of you." Loki closed his eyes. Neither noticed the man who was watching them.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you enjoyed! If you have any questions, please let me know. This story starts in the middle of an already established problem which will be carefully revealed as we go along


End file.
